A Sweet Addiction
by princesshyuuga01
Summary: [A collection of SasuTen one-shots] Chapter Six: "Itachi had always loved you," he murmured huskily. "His deepest regret was that you weren't an Uchiha—weren't his sister. If you marry me—" he said. "—you can be both." His voice was a drawl, like talons over the hardest stone.
1. Parenting Dilemma

**A Sweet Addiction**

**Chapter One — Parenting Dilemma**

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><p>The child stirred spasmodically in her sleep. When she opened her little onyx eyes, it was not that nice floating up into a world of toast and bacon, of her kaa-san bustling in to open the curtains, and the early morning news on the radio downstairs.<p>

It was dark and cold.

She knew what woke her up. Kaa-san and tou-san had the television on too loud, and one of those shows that they wouldn't allow her to watch—all screaming and furniture crashing—was on.

With a resigned sigh, and a sleepy yawn she got out of her bed and put on her slippers, as tou-san always told her to do because the floors were cold.

Rubbing her eyes with the back of her tiny palms, she felt around under the blanket for the stuffed bear that kaa-san had bought her for times when she felt lonely or scared at nights. Brushing her long dark hair out of her face, she folded her arms around him and felt her way through the darkness into the hallway.

OoOoOoOo

"Sasuke," Tenten murmured as his lips came down on hers, warm, searching and greedy. "You're going to wake Tsuki."

He chuckled but ignored her plea and moved his lips like silk across hers, creating delicious erotic sensations on the sensitive surfaces. Then he deepened the kiss, sweeping the honeyed sweetness from her mouth with a thrust that shook her to her toes.

"Tomorrow is her first day of the academy. I want her to get enough rest," she whispered breathlessly but even as she complained her hands were reaching up—tangling in his thick dark hair, her high rounded breast under her t-shirt lifting and pressing against the broadness of his chest.

"We've never woken her up before," he gave her a tiny biting kiss, then another, as though he couldn't bring himself to release her mouth. Then his lips brushed against her throat, venturing lower by the seconds until they stopped on the thin cotton stretched taut against the arose peak of her nipples.

The sensitive, seductive mouth excited them further, sweetly torturing her until the ache of her breast, the burning between her thighs made her arch against him. She tossed her head back against the pillows, revelling in his ragged breathing, the hardness at his groin.

"What are you doing?" she giggled when he started to lift her shirt. "I said we shouldn't."

She felt the smooth of his big hands on the back of her bare back; they moved slowly, hypnotically up and down over skin and muscles, drugging her with a sense of bewitchment.

"How convenient; you don't sleep in a bra," he chuckled, his voice a low velvety purr. "Is this one of my shirts?" he asked huskily.

She nodded and he took her mouth again in another deep, passionate kiss as he rubbed his thumb over her swollen bust. "May I have it back?" he asked, pulling it over her head.

Tenten quivered with pleasure and arched forward against him. "I will blame you if I catch a cold," she teased.

He slipped his finger beneath the waistband of her shorts—they turned out to be a pair of his underpants. "So you're stealing my clothes now?"

She arched her chest again in an inviting gesture. Hot and grating need rippled through him again. His mouth left her lips to plant kisses on her trembling nipples. Then with his tongue he created a river of life in the valley between her creamy satiny breasts.

"I'd like my boxers back as well," he whispered seductively, sweeping her breast with his big hands, and then running them down the length of her supine body.

She laughed at his silly demand, "Well, you'll have to take it off me, if you want it back."

Lifting his head, he drowned in the chocolate pools of her eyes and whispered seductively, "Don't think I won't." He buried his face in her neck, kissing it, leaving tiny wet mouth prints everywhere. Then he rolled over on top of her and shot her a wicked grin.

"You're heavy!" Tenten protested shakily.

He covered her lips with his finger and chuckled, "You're going to wake Tsuki." She couldn't recall how he eased her out of the boxers but he did. The black underwear would have followed except that, looking down at her wickedly lovely length of her legs, he couldn't resist.

He slid down the length of her body and started to kiss the satiny skin of her thighs, running his lips slowly upwards, laying a flaming trail of desire so intense that Tenten didn't think she could wait if he kept it up. He was already hardening with desire, and she felt an answering surge of passion through her loins.

"This is a bad idea," she felt her underwear slowly slipping away from her hips, down the long length of her slender legs. "It's too late to be doing this."

"Nonsense, it's the perfect time; when everyone's asleep." He crawled back over her; his mouth covered the rosy tip of her breast. He played with that nub, rolling his tongue, pulling at it till Tenten felt an echoing, more feverish tug between her thighs.

She whimpered and ran her hands down the smooth tight skin of his flat abdomen and reached behind to the firm curves of his buttocks. "You know she's a light-sleeper," she bit on his lower lip.

He covered her with kisses, his hands moving intimately over her body. It circled teasingly, and then cupped the warm, moist spot where her thighs came together.

An exploring finger slipped into the intricate folds of moistness. In the throbbing softness, one spot suddenly flared into agonizing, delicious incandescence, spreading its fire to every cell in her body.

"Sasuke!" she gasped and arched up against him, whispering for him to stop, to come to her, to love her now.

"I'm not the one who's going to wake the damn child," he grumbled. There was a lazy, languid sensuality about the way his mouth twisted against hers. The tip of his tongue slowly caressed the generous curves of her mouth. "Be a good wife and be quiet."

He drew the sheet over their bodies and slipped out of his boxers while she laid back, eyes wide opened—hypnotized. She was weak to him. His hip moved against hers and a shiver of anticipation went through her like an electric current.

"You're mine," he whispered in her ear. Somehow she never got tired of hearing that. She trembled with the aching thrill along her nerves. Her eyes drooped and she felt herself slowly leaving the planet. She was too weak with desire, she couldn't fight the need.

"Then hurry up and show me that I am," she panted frantically.

He was almost out of control, his fully aroused flesh a torment. But he couldn't give up the satin of her skin, the sweetness of her mouth, and everything that was his to stroke, suckle and kiss. She was his—to hold, to cherish and to love.

"This is the only scenario where you're allowed to be this bossy," he spread her thighs with his knees and filled her deeply. He groaned when her body closed around him and that familiar warmth rushed throughout his being.

"Oh dear!"

Her muscles tensed at the sudden invasion, but that wasn't what resulted in her outburst, it was the fact that their daughter had opened their bedroom door and was standing in the middle of the door way looking at them with an unreadable expression lurking in her artless Sasuke-like, onyx orbs.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Kaa-san, tou-san?" came the little questioning voice.

Sasuke literally face palmed himself, muttered a curse then rolled off Tenten to sit up in the bed. Carefully covering himself with the sheet, he glared at the miniature replica of himself and his wife that was now making her way into the room, clutching that dumb stuffed animal Tenten had given her.

A stifling silence settled within the room and for a second he had the strongest urge to strangle the little girl. He heaved a frustrated sigh with the realization that he couldn't, even if he wanted to.

"W-what's t-the m-matter s-sweetie?" Tenten stammered, a scarlet flush was glaringly noticeable on the creamy flesh of her cheek regardless of the dim lighting in the room.

The child crawled on to bed and sat facing both her parents, eyeing them with close apprehension.

She noted kaa-san's growingly red cheeks and the angry scowl on tou-san's face. Tsuki turned curiously to her mother; a bewildered expression lit up her adorable features.

"Kaa-san, why was tou-san laying on top of you?" the young Uchiha asked, getting straight to the point as usual.

Bluntness was an Uchiha curse.

Tenten swallowed and apparently choked on her own saliva. "What?" the brunette drew the blanket more closely around her body.

"I was sleeping," Sasuke answered flatly, irritated by the child's unwanted presence.

"But tou-san," her brows furrowed, "There's more than enough space for both of you to fit," she pointed out, edging to sit in the comfort of Tenten's lap.

And like the maternal creature that she was, she wrapped her arms around the tiny child and ran her hand through the long, thick, black locks. Sasuke glowered; there was no need to pamper the damn brat after what she just postponed, especially when she was being so smart about it.

"Well aren't we smart?" He derided, drinking in the scene before his eyes. He always took such a joy in watching his wife and child interact.

But he could not hide his annoyance at Tsuki for her unannounced intrusion. What if they hadn't been under the covers?

They really ought to do something about that child, he thought grimly. Burying her in the backyard when Tenten's away on a mission held a sizeable amount of appeal.

"Were you making me that baby brother I had asked for?" she tilted her head and looked expectantly at Tenten who could only stare down at her as though she had two heads.

Instead of blushing, she felt herself go pale, she opened her mouth to speak, but for some reason her tongue felt heavy. She was not surprise to see that Sasuke didn't look fazed at all, in fact he looked delighted.

"And where did you get that idea?" Sasuke asked sternly, but Tenten caught a glimpse of that humour in his eyes.

Tsuki's sank further into her mother's embrace; she always hated it when tou-san used that tone on her. It always meant that she was in some sort of trouble.

"Hyuuga Satoru told me," she played nervously with her fingers, expecting to witness one of the tantrums her daddy usually had whenever the word 'Hyuuga' was brought up.

But instead he chuckled.

As much as Sasuke hated to admit it, his daughter had developed a certain fondness for that Hyuuga kid. She admired him greatly, and he held a certain respect for the young prodigy. He hoped however, that this little infatuation didn't turn into an obsession; after all, Konoha was only big enough for one man-crazed female, ie. Sakura.

He would behead his own child before he allowed her to get like that.

But as Satoru and Tsuki got older, he feared more for the boy than his daughter; for if those cruddy little Hyuuga paws of his ever laid an indecent finger on his child, they'd be fucking hell to pay.

"I guess Neji and Sakura have long pass the birds and the bees' conversation," he chuckled, scratching his head and glancing over at his wife.

"What's that?" big, innocent onyx eyes looked up into hazel ones. "Kaa-san, what is he talking about?" she tugged on Tenten's arm.

She shot Sasuke a poisonous glance, "Did you need to bring this up now?"

Sasuke smirked, "Haven't you ever wondered where babies came from Tsuki?" he asked the little girl who nodded her dark head fiercely. "Well, when two people—"

"—really want a baby, they write a letter to Santa Claus and—" Tenten added quickly but found herseld being cut off by her witty offspring.

"If that was the case kaa-san, then every child would be born in December. I was born in February." Tsuki stated as-a-matter-of-factly, looking at her father for an plausible explanation.

"Don't underestimate her Tenten; she's an Uchiha," The corner of Sasuke's lip curled upward and Tsuki flashed him an equally complacent smirk.

"Satoru said that his kaa-san and tou-san attempts to make a baby almost every night," she beamed.

Tenten's eyes grew wide; kids weren't supposed to be discussing things like this. Then she silently wondered what Tsuki must have told her friends about herself and Sasuke. She wouldn't tell them anything too embarrassing, would she?

"Really?" Sasuke asked, fascinated for some unapparent reason. "What else did he say?"

"He said that he knows they try every night because he hears strange noise and crashing in their room." Tsuki felt her kaa-san tensed behind her but she continued, "But if that's the case, then that means you try every night too...?" she asked, her voice laced with speculative curiosity.

"I think you need to go back to bed," Tenten ushered the child off her lap and glared at Sasuke for indulging her child in such a mature conversation.

"But you haven't told me where babies came from yet."

"Bed!" Tenten instructed and the little girl simply crawled into her father's arm, knowing that if she got him on her side, she'd be unstoppable where having her own way was considered.

Sasuke chuckled at his wife's obvious disquiet.

"Tou-san, I don't want to go bed," she whined, flaunting the best puppy dog eyes that she could conjure up. Sasuke took one look at the child and was automatically compelled to comply.

Tenten miss the days when she could use such trickery on Sasuke to get whatever she wanted.

"Maybe if you really want that brother, you should go to bed," Sasuke kissed her on her forehead and lifted her off the bed.

He heard her little feet scampering across the floor but she didn't leave the room.

"But I want to help," she stomped, folding her arms in protest. "I want to help to make my brother!"

OoOoOoOo

An awkward silence settled amongst them once more.

"Fine," Tsuki fumed, dark eyes burning golden. "If you won't tell me where babies come from or at least allow me to help you make one—I'll figure out where they come from and how they are made all by myself," she pouted like the stubborn brat that she was. "And when I do, Satoru and I are going to make me a baby brother!"

It was Sasuke's time to choke on his saliva, "You will do NO such thing!"

Tenten snickered, "Aww, you would have the cutest babies."

"Tenten—" Sasuke warned and narrowed his eyes on his daughter who was now glaring daggers at him and Tenten.

It was so adorable the way her hands tightened around the bear in sheer frustration. Perhaps in the later running, he'd have to take her to anger management. "Are you trying to upset me Tsuki? Because you're doing a pretty good job," he grated.

"Kaa-san..." she pouted. "What's wrong with wanting to make a baby?"

"Ask your father," she suggested spitefully.

He sent her a 'thanks for nothing' frown and continued to grimace.

"You started this," Tenten grinned, holding up her arms in a gesture of defense.

Tsuki looked from one parent to another, "If it's okay for you to do it, I don't see why I can't."

"Sweetie...you're too young to be thinking about such things," Tenten said.

"But it's taking you guys forever to make me that brother!" she protested.

"Blame that on your mother," Sasuke muttered to himself, Tenten heard and elbowed him. "There will be no further talk about making babies," he declared tersely.

"How do babies get inside a girl's tummy kaa-san?" she ignored her father.

"Ask Sasuke," was all Tenten said.

He shot her a poisonous glare.

"Tou-san?" dark lashes liftes.

"A boy puts it in there," he told her finally, wondering how on earth he could explain the concept of mating to his child on a level where it was understandable but not explicit.

"How does he do that tou-san?" he could tell that she was itching to know. "Is that why you were lying on top of kaa-san?"

Tenten shuddered, this was getting awkward again. "No—"

"—yes." Sasuke answered, cutting Tenten off. "See, in order for your mother to have a baby we have to—we have to—sleep together."

"But don't you do that every night?" she rolled her eyes.

Tenten and Sasuke went silent for a moment. Sometimes they forgot how much of a smart ass their little girl could be. Naturally it was no surprise since she spent so much time with her father and hung around the Hyuuga kid.

"Does that mean that I'm going to have a baby because I slept with Satoru yesterday?" she played with the ears of her bear.

"No," he chuckled at her innocence but when the enquiry finally registered, a blazing pair of Sharingan turned on Tenten "SHE DID WHAT?" Sasuke demanded.

"They shared a bed idiot," Tenten sighed. The Uchiha was an even bigger mama bear than she was, though she'd never say it to his face. The last time she made a jab at his masculinity, they stopped being intimate for two months.

It was the longest sex-drought in their entire married life. And Sasuke was the kind of husband that couldn't keep his hands to himself, so it was shocking to say the least. But she learned a valuable lesson—Uchihas didn't let go of grudges easily."

"Did he touch you?" Sasuke asked impatiently, scanning the child with his Sharingan to see if anything was out of place.

Tsuki's frowned, "Kaa-san, I'm confused."

"I swear, I'll break that boy's neck if he touched my her," there was murderous intent in his eyes.

"Calm down stupid, you're scaring her!" Tenten whacked him across his head.

"How does the boy puts the baby inside the girl?" Tsuki cleared her throat as if to get everyone back on track with their current conversation.

Tenten had to ask, "Why are you suddenly so interested to know?"

"It would make it easier for Satoru to help me get the baby inside, if we knew how to."

"There will be no putting of anything inside anywhere," Sasuke scoffed sickly, actually his skin took on a faint green tint at Tsuki's declaration.

The Weapon Mistress shook her head, "Sweetheart, making babies is something that only grownups can do," she explained. The child nodded in complete understanding. "When you get older you'll learn about how they are made. But under no circumstances are you to attempt to try it with Satoru."

"Under no circumstances!" Sasuke warned darkly.

"For now, we'll stick to the Santa Claus theory, okay...?" Tenten piped, glad to get everything over with.

"But tou-san said—" she protested.

"Your tou-san is an idiot," Tenten sent him a scolding glare. "You shouldn't take anything he says too seriously."

Sasuke nodded dumbly. He felt as though he'd march over to the Hyuuga Compound and strangle the young Hyuuga for increasing his daughter curiosity about where babies truly came from.

"I still would like that brother," she lowered her lashes demurely, twirling her toes on the ground.

"That's what we could've been working on, but then you trespassed," Sasuke mumbled and Tenten elbowed him, not fully comprehending the hostility towards his kin.

"Really?" Tsuki's eyes lit up in excitement. "I guess I should go back to my room and put the pillows over my head," she gave them a decisive nodd and began to hastily make her way to the door. "Try not to wake the neighbours!"

She had the audacity to wave at them.

Sasuke could kill her. "What was that?"

"I said try not to disturb the neighbours," she shrugged as if annoyed by the delay.

Slightly taken aback Sasuke asked, "Why would we wake the neighbours Tsuki?"

She giggled, "You guys are always so loud whenever you have sex," it sounded like an accusation, especially with the way she was pointing a finger at them. "At least if kaa-san gets pregnant it'll guarantee me and the neighbours nine months of sleep."

One of the veins at Sasuke's temples popped. He could only crack his knuckles to suppress himself from marching over to the Hyuuga residence and trapping Neji's damned offspring in a genjutsu.

He'd leave Tenten to deal with Tsuki out of fear that he might repeat the Uchiha massacre, starting with his own child.

Tenten shuffled beneath the sheets, searching for something. He silently hoped it wasn't a kunai knife. Tenten wouldn't use their child as a targeting dummy now would she?

Five years old were supposed to playing shinobi war with toy weapons, not worrying about where babies came from.

"Where's my headband?" the fuming brunette asked, flinging her legs across Sasuke's to reach for her head-protector that rested on Sasuke's night table.

"What for?" he asked.

Her eyes blazed in fury, "I'm going to pay Sakura and Neji a visit."

"No!" Tsuki suddenly gave out.

They eyed her suspiciously. "No what?" their peeved voices chorused.

"No, you're doing it wrong!" she pointed at her mother gingerly.

They stared at her puzzled.

"Flip her over tou-san," she instructed.

Sasuke's fist clenched. "What is it child?"

"I change my mind. I want a puppy. So do it doggy style."

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><p><strong>AN: ****My idea of humour is severly fucked so if you didn't find this funny then I wouldn't be surprised.**


	2. You Are The Only Exception

**A Sweet Addiction**

**Chapter Two—You Are The Only Exception**

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><p>Tenten woke up to ringing sound of footsteps on the stone floor above her. They were not the sharp click—clack of a woman's heel but heavier, more masculine tread. She heaved a sigh of relief with the realization that it couldn't be Karin—the woman who had shut her up in this horrible little hole.<p>

At first she thought she would have suffocated. But there was air, musty and cold, coming through a small slit. It had been a whole week since she was lured and held captive by her red headed captor and her cronies; or had it been two weeks?

She couldn't tell—it was impossible to distinguish between days and nights within her now pitch black surrounding. She had never been afraid of the dark, but she had never known darkness like this. It was complete.

The Weapon Mistress thought that she would've gone stark, raving, lunatic mad with being shut up in such a small place—there was barely enough space to turn around. As the days rolled by the huge rough stones seemed as if they were actually moving, closing in on her—she'd eventually be crushed to death slowly, agonizingly by the big stones.

And if that didn't kill her, hunger and thirst would certainly do the trick. She couldn't remember what food tasted or smelled like. Death permeated the air, leaving the horrid taste of decay and rot on her tongue.

Honestly she would have preferred if Orochimaru had killed her on the spot after learning that his young apprentice had caught the intruder who had been causing the stir in his hideout.

Instead he had decided that the honour of disposing of _their little 'parasite_' should go to Karin, since she was the brunette's captor.

The redhead was intent on making her death as slow and as painful as possible.

A ninja must not show emotions, it's a sign of weakness; she kept chanting to herself but it was pointless. The tears came anyway. She'd cry until there were no tears left, just dry sobs. Surprisingly it made her feel better. Her mind was clearer, her morale steadier. Soon began to accept the fact that in a matter of days, her body would eventually give in to the lack of nutrients and she'd die.

In fact, she looked forward to her death. It would grant her the oblivion she craved. The only thing that she'd regret was having to make her teammates and friends search for her in vain. She'd be a pile of bones gathering cobweb before they could even infiltrate Orochimaru's hideout.

Occasionally Karin would stop by to mock and insult her—telling her how much of a worthless kunoichi she was. It was true, she thought grimly—she was useless, she had always been useless. Not having a family or possessing any unique abilities. Always playing backup and never being assigned to any top-ranked missions.

It came such a shocker when Tsunade had assigned her to this S–ranked mission. Perhaps she had finally realized Tenten's worth or lack thereof and decided to put the poor kunoichi out of her misery by sending her to her death bed.

"A jutsu have been casted upon these rocks, your chakra will literally be sucked out of you if you try to use it," Karin had told her, then there was that cruel laughter that Tenten had grown accustomed to hear ringing in his head. "But don't go trying anything funny missy, Sasuke-kun would be heartbroken if a captured Leaf shinobi didn't die by his hands."

Uchiha Sasuke?

How ever did she forget about him when both Sakura and Naruto devoted their lives to being stronger shinobis just for the sake of bringing him back to the village. Tenten knew for a fact that she had never played such a significant role in anyone's life for them to be so devoted to her.

She had been there that night—that night Uchiha left Sakura on that bench. And he had looked directly at her through the bushes she had hid behind. There had been tears in his dark eyes.

The memory still haunted her. It stained her consciousness. Prideful Uchiha Sasuke, in a moment of vulnerability had looked her dead in the eyes, as if he had wanted her to see him like that.

The footsteps were getting louder.

Her heart started beating fast with expectation. She had reached the point where just having the stone rolled away would be bliss. That point where space, air and light would seem heaven–sent; where to see another human being—no matter whom—would have been comforting.

Then fear set in. What did this person want with her? What would he do to her? She might be safer in her little burrow than in his hands, whoever he was.

The footsteps were coming nearer.

"Tenten?" the gruff voice demanded.

She began to whimper. It sounded like Kabuto. Maybe if she kept quiet he'd leave.

The voice was more urgent now. "Tenten?"

Mustering all her strength she bent her head to peek through the slit. Instinctively she jerked her head back from the red glare that stared her in the eyes. In an instant, she knew with terrible, stupefying clarity that it was Uchiha Sasuke. And he was angry; she could sense it in the flare of his chakra.

"I know you're in there."

With a harsh rasping noise, the stone rolled back.

The absolute, stygian blackness gave way to the glorious dimness. It took her eyes a while to adjust to the sudden burst of light within the hole. It took her mind a much longer time to fully acknowledge the fact that Uchiha Sasuke was standing at the opening of the hole, Sharingan activated with a scowl darkening his pale features.

Her heart throbbed unrhythmically in her chest and her stomach wouldn't stop turning over. It made her feel nauseous.

"What are you doing here?" his voice seemed to sting her sensitive skin.

Apparently they had forgotten to fill the Uchiha in on their latest catch.

She crept further down into the hole if that was possible. This was a confrontation that she was not looking forward to. If the rumours were true, then she had every reason to be afraid of this man. He was dangerous. With just one look he could kill her or send her off into a world of insanity—not that she wasn't on her way there already.

"Just kill me and get over with it," she suggested with a slight tremor in her voice.

"Don't tempt me," he warned deadly, studying her for a moment then held out his hands for her to take it.

Brown eyes widen and her mouth gaped. Sasuke was offering her his hand. What for? She shook her head furiously and bumped her head on the stone roof. "No."

"Come out," he instructed, his voice like steel.

"No," she challenged shakily.

"It wasn't a request child. It was a command," he told her gingerly. Sasuke stood on his side of the hole, grating, unable to get his large frame through the opening.

"Get out now Tenten, or I'll sent these rocks down on you," she felt the ground beneath her began to tremble, and in that moment she knew he was not joking, if he said he'd kill her, he'd do it—in fact he might actually enjoy it.

An eerie chill crept up her spine and she was suddenly—genuinely afraid of dying by his hands.

Tenten rushed out of the hole, forgetting to stoop and bumped her head in the roof once again. She squeezed through and fell into his outstretched arms.

She was shaking so badly, he had to hold her very tight to hold her at all. She felt his hand stroke her hair and she knew in her bones that he was someone to fear, so why was allowing herself to feel secure?

"Please just kill me," she said fiercely, her voice trembling.

"I will—" he assured her with a low grunt. Then he swooped her up in his arms, and began to walk steadily down what looked like a well lit hallway, she didn't see much of it. "—eventually."

"What are you doing?" she felt curiously passive and inert; her body sluggish, her thinking slow and lethargic.

Sasuke took her to what looked like his room.

Tenten blinked in confusion as he placed her in a chair and told her to stay there. She would have bolted out the door the moment that he had left except she couldn't. Her limbs felt languorous and she hadn't the courage to disobey the Uchiha—she was paralyzed by the fear brought on both by his intimating aura and the ordeal that she had just endured.

He returned with a bowl of steaming hot ramen and placed it in her unsteady hands. "Eat it," he ordered.

She flushed and refused; a little confused. "I'd rather die."

"That's fine by me," he growled and sat down on his bed frowning at the stubborn brunette. Even on her death bed she was still as stubborn as he had remembered her to be—never wanting to accept aid for anyone as it made her feel powerless.

In truth, looking at her as she barely managed to sit upright in the chair, made him see some sembleance of his former self in the brunette. It infuriated him. It unnerved him. He hated it. But he supposed there had always been a clandestine affinity between himself and the weapon wielder.

The room felt silent.

An irrational yearning tempted the avenger to use his Sharingan to compel her to eat.

She just sat there staring at the ramen as though it was nothing. She was still shaking, her skin was drained of all its colour and she looked a little under weight. How long had they kept her cooped up in that hell hole?

He shot her a disapproving glare but she just looked blankly into his dark eyes.

He felt an unfamiliar tug in his chest when their eyes locked and he had to clench his fist at his sides to refrain from physically forcing her to eat.

Why he felt so constrained to not allow her to starve herself to death, Sasuke didn't know. He reckoned that a part of him would slowly deteriorate knowing that he'd watched and allowed her to drive herself into ruination.

"If you don't eat you'll die," he told her solemnly.

"Then let it be..." she insisted feebly, but it came with a bite. "It's not like you care."

His smirk was merciless, "You're right, I don't," he admitted savagely. "But I don't want to have to clean up a corpse."

The remark came as no surprise; in fact it humoured her. "Then you should have just let me rot inside that hole," she told him, hazel orbs looking paler than the last time he had gotten the chance to look at them.

That night.

"Maybe I should have," he conceded, and in the space of a heartbeat he was by her side, roughly grabbing her by her shirt collar.

She found that her feet now hung in mid-air. The bowl of ramen fell from her hands and spilled its contents unto the concrete floor.

"Don't tempt me Tenten. I will kill you without a second thought," his red eyes bore into her bronze ones.

He snaked a hand around her throat and fought with himself to keep from strangling her. He felt disconcerted by the fact that he kept seeing himself suffering in her place. As if the stronger half of himself was clutching the weaker half's neck—trying to annihilate it.

Sasuke looked down at her dirt–encrusted clothes and grimaced, "I want you to go get cleaned up and you will eat the next bowl of ramen without any resistance," he said sternly, Sharingan spinning.

Tenten nodded in compliance and he released her, letting her fall to the ground with a heavy thud. She gasped and scramble to her feet.

He truly did not know how else to express himself, violence was his way of nature.

The young Uchiha never intended to wage war against his friends. However, since they insisted on defending the village that destroyed him, he had no choice. Whoever got in his way would perish along with the place they had grown to call home.

Tenten wasn't an exception, she was a complication.

He watched as she staggered towards the direction of his bathroom and doubted that she could even handle to take a shower in her condition.

There would be hell to pay once Orochimaru found out that he was entertaining the prisoner in his quarters but he didn't care. The snake was the least of his worries.

He would not allow them to continue mistreating the girl the way they had been. Perhaps it was because he still felt a little attached to all things Konoha—perhaps it was beacause of personal feelings towards the kunoichi, but he thought there was just something severly barbaric with they had been treating her.

Tenten went into the bathroom and took off the pink shirt and the dark pants that she had been wearing for as long as her nearly unconscious mind could remember. They were mouldy and damp. Her bra and underwear followed afterwards.

She sat on the edge of the tub, staring apathetically at the pile of clothes. She felt like the empty shell of a human being. It was ridiculous, but suddenly she didn't have the strength to turn on the tap. She didn't even trust herself to not slip into the tub and fall.

A numbing listlessness stole over her. She felt claustrophobic. She realized it was her minds way of protecting her from the ordeal that she had been undergoing for so long. Later she would be able to confront it, but not now. It was like a combat fatigue. She tried to rouse herself, but was unable to. So she just sat there, for how long, she didn't know.

Her mind was a complete blank.

When Sasuke tapped on the bathroom door, she didn't answer. She had forgotten everything for a moment and was wondering who was knocking on the door.

She was reaching for her clothes when he came in.

His look changed from worried to consternation when he saw her. Then the furrowed lines in his face vanished, but the activated Sharingan was still in place.

He took a large bath towel off the rack and wrapped it around her. His hands were strong and reassuring on her body; the towel deliciously warm and soft. Tenten closed her eyes a moment, relishing the sensation.

Taking her by the shoulders, he half lifted her from the edge of the tub. "Sit over there," he commanded harshly. "I'll run the water for you."

He felt that unfamiliar tug in his chest again as those traumatize chocolate eyes dead-bolted with his. He deactivated his Sharingan and gave her a look of understanding.

She sat down obediently and listened to the rush of water as Sasuke turned both taps on.

"Alright, Tenten," he said and she stood. The towel dropped and she stared down at it stupidly. _I really ought to pick that up._

Sasuke looked at her, his glance running down, then up her body. He felt an uncharacteristic sting at her cheeks when he it finally dawned at him that he must have been gawking at her.

She was incredibly beautiful. Slender, with waist you could fit both hands around, but with full up tilting breast and long, elegant legs. He helped her in the tub and turned away, mentally punching himself. He wasn't just a ruthless, rogue ninja, he was a man as well. And no man who claimed to be a real man would pass up the opportunity to acknowledge true feminine beauty when he saw it.

For a second, the idea of sleeping with her right then and there flashed across his mind. She wouldn't resist—in the state she was in, she'd hardly know what was happening. The idea left just as quickly as it came, washed away by a tide of repugnance at the very thought of doing such a thing.

Tenten sat dumbly in the tub of water staring at nothing in particular.

What Sasuke did next, he had swallowed a lot of his pride to do. He knew it in his heart that if it were another female, he wouldn't be in here.

But he was completely hopeless against the certain power that she held over him. He didn't know when it started. Somewhere between escaping Sakura's advances and challenging the Hyuuga, Sasuke had found himself taking joy in the simpler things in life—and Tenten was as plain as simple as they came.

He had admired that about her, because before the Uchiha massacre, his life had been just that—simple. He desired those days above all, though he knew the likes of which would never return to his clutches.

He always found comfort in knowing she was safe because the truth of the matter was that Tenten functioned as his second half—a sort of preservation of his youth—a completion of what it was that made him Uchiha Sasuke the avenger.

He had tried to shove the thought aside, banish it from his mind. After all he had never had any sort of relationship withthe girl for her to assume such significance in his life. But as their genin days rolled by, he acknowledged—from afar—bits and pieces of his old life in her; he could no longer escape the truth.

She took the form of his mother; without judgement, nurturing, fair and honest. That was the side of her that had drawn him at first. He envied the Hyuuga for always being the one at the end of such kindness. It could be argued that Sakura was nice to him as well, but she was only ever like that because she had an ulterior motive. She saw him as a prize to be won over and something to flaunt at the other girls to make them feel jealous. There was nothing sweet about her infatuation, it was manipulative and strictly superficial.

Tenten on the other hand, selflessly gave without expecting anything in return. She didn't make a nuisance out of herself either, he reasoned to himself.

He soon discovered that her expertise with weapons and her willingness to lend a helping hand to others in that regards, reflected his exact memories of his brother. But what had disgusted him most about her likeness to Itachi, was her patriotism. Her loyaltly to the Leaf Village was sickening. Once when they were much younger, Sasuke overheard her saying she wanted to be Hokage.

He hadn't heard her with it since then and hoped she had realized exactly how corrupt and bias politics in Konoha was.

Like his father, Tenten disliked any sign of weakness. This was the side of her that he could relate to the most. While not callous, her delicate features, twin buns and brown eyes served as a lethal combination that could trick her opponent into underestimating her abilities. Then she went in for the kill.

He had seen how easily she overwhelmed Sakura in battle when the two sparred. Not that his former teammate was much of a step up from training dummy.

In some ways Sasuke supposed he had always envied Tenten. How was it that she could live with the knowledge that she had no one? How was it that she could go home with a smile on her face knowing that there was no one there waiting for her?

She grew up without ever knowing the love of a family, of a bond; of anyone. How did she survive it all—living in the shadows of her team mates and not being fully recognized for the potentials that she truly had? How?

She made it look so easy to be insignificant and yet she was in every possible way, the only one that mattered. To him.

Why was that?

Because she was the lost half of himself.

"Open your eyes!" he instructed when she started tilting to one side, lack of sleep finally catching up to her.

He sighed when she flung her eyes open only to have them helplessly fall back shut.

Sasuke glared down at the pathetic creature sitting in his bath tub and felt himself burn with an unwanted need to protect her. To keep that half of himself locked away from the rest of the world.

He hated the feeling. It made him question his readiness to go into battle with Itachi. If he couldn't wash a mere girl out of his thoughts, how would he fare against his brother in battle, a brother whom he loved his entire life?

Reluctantly he began to pour water in her hair, watching it cling to her face, drenching her pale skin. He couldn't believe what he was doing.

She shuddered, when the water unexpected made contact with her cold, dirty flesh. She tensed when she felt his fingers in her hair as if she thought he would snap her neck any minute now.

But he didn't—he was actually—Uchiha Sasuke was massaging her scalp? Shampooing it and washing away weeks of grime and muck that had taken up residence in her long brown locks.

His fingers creating a mesmerizing motion that seemed to mesh with the unsteady beat of her heart.

He soaped her breasts and abdomen, her long, firm thighs and back. He washed her feet carefully and her slim arms and hands. The he rinsed off her body with a bath sponge, lifted her out of the tub and gently towelled her dry.

He grabbed a big cotton shirt in his closet and eased it over her head, past her shoulders, and down her slender sides. After she got cleaned up he prepared another bowl of ramen and he roughly fed her. She offered no resistance.

He found himself readying his bed and when she laid down, he pulled the covers up over her.

Then he sat on the bed next to her shaking his head at his odd behaviour.

Orochimaru was not going to like this at all, but he too would come to see hat one man's trash could indeed become another's treasure.

The village had shunned her, deemed her unworthy of the ninja name. And for that Tenten should at least share a common goal. That was, watching Konoha fall to pieces.

"Are you going to kill me now?" she asked, sounding a little too hopeful for his liking.

He placed his hands on hers and quickly drew it back when he realized what he was doing. "Don't appear so anxious, you might give me the wrong idea," a smirk played at the corner of his lips.

Suddenly it all hit her. Sasuke had given her a bath. She had been stark naked and he had washed her, touched her everywhere, held onto her so she wouldn't fall while he patted her body dry.

She closed her eyes against the embarrassment of it. Heat, like liquid fire, swept her body. She raised the blanket to her chin, so he wouldn't see her trembling beneath it. But it wasn't shame she was feeling now—it was a sense of peace, an eerie sense of relief.

As he was about to get up, he felt a fragile hand clasped his elbows. "What is it?"

He saw her stiffen, "Don't leave. Please," she whimpered.

"No one will bother you in here Tenten. No one is that daring. Go get some rest," he ordered.

But she wouldn't release his arm, no matter how much her limbs were protesting. "Please..."

He shrugged her off and scowled. Tenten's soft gaze vanished and her lips came firmly together.

Their eyes locked again. "It is not in your place to request anything of me," his voice was crisp and reeked with authority.

But his brain sent a completely different message out to his limbs for he took her in his arms when all her protective mechanisms had caved in and she started to cry.

"A ninja must never let his or her emotions get in the way of anything," he said more to himself than her.

She sobbed non-stop, berating herself as pathetic, dumb and a host of other words she would soon see did not describe her at all. Sasuke would make certain of it.

He lay back on the bed and held her against him, smothering her hair, hating himself for being so weak towards her tears. "It's okay Tenten. Please don't cry," he was torn between annoyance and sympathy.

She cried without stopping, and he simply sat there, listening to her ranting, whispering words that held no meaning but told her that he was there. And no matter how much he wanted to abandon her and the strange feeling she was coercing into his chest, he couldn't.

It was like being reunited with the broken half of a soul. The half that felt, that cared, the half that he had neglected because it would've held him back.

She was the half that gave him purpose—the half to gave him drive. On look at her and he'd remember what Konoha had done to him. They left him an orphan—alone. Like Tenten. And though he wished he could bend his mind to his situation the way she had to hers; he couldn't allow the death of his clan to go like that.

The difference between himself and the brunette was that she had never known the comfort of a family; hence she wouldn't know the hurt he felt after losing his. No one deserved to feel as alone and as empty as he had felt. But he supposed the depth of her misery surpassed his own since she was brought into this world alone.

Not knowing who she was of ever truly feeling that sense of belonging everybody craved.

That was precisely why they would make the perfect team. He'd teach her to cope with the pain, to not care, to not feel and in return she'd help him regain the ability to do exactly those things. After all, what's life without a little humanity?

He would need no one, nor would she; heck, they wouldn't even need each other—they were already one.

Later after she had finally finished sobbing and emptied her insides of her fear, terror and sadness, she felt fatigue. But they both just laid there basking in the comfort of utter and complete soul–consolidation.

"A ninja must never allow personal attachments to deter his goals. However, some goals are more important than others." Sasuke said. "And those that are not as vital have to be delayed in order to facilitate the more significant things in life." He was now holding her hand, his strong fingers tightening their grip. "I was sent to kill you tonight," he admitted and she gasped. "That was my goal."

Did the temperature in the room suddenly drop?

"I've never failed an execution mission before," he leaned closer. "Nothing gets in my way," she heard the sound of metal against metal, a sound which would have been like music to her ears, but given the situation it was her death call.

"But I think I'll risk the consequences this time..."

She watched his lips descend to hers in a crescendo of excitement. His breath was warm against her lips before she felt the gentle pressure of his mouth over hers.

"...Because, you are the only exception."

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><p><strong>AN: If it lacked entertainment value please forgive me. I prefer to write AU fics but I thought I would incooperate some cannon-ish themed one-shots in this collection. Please Review. Be nice :)**


	3. Daylight

**A Sweet Addiction**

**Chapter Three—Daylight**

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><p><strong><em>Here I am waiting…I'll have to leave soon,<em>**

**_Why am I…holding on?_**

**_We knew this day would come_**

**_We knew it all along,_**

**_How did it… come so fast?_**

"We don't have to do this," he watched as she pushed to her feet dragging him along to stand up before her.

She watched him carefully, her fingers going to the hem of her black shirt. "We don't have to, we need to."

He studied her carefully, gliding forward until no space remained between them. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her fully against his rock-hard body. "Are you sure about this?"

She hesitated knowing the risks that were attached, but also aware of the emptiness that would follow if she changed her mind.

This was about temporary filling a void that would forever remain unfulfilled after tonight. He knew it, she knew and with that knowledge she nodded in consent, tossing her blouse aside.

**_This is our last night… but it's late and I'm trying not to sleep_**

**_Cause I know when I wake I will have to slip away._**

Watching Tenten's curvy body emerge from under her clothing caught him a bit off-guard. He didn't want to rush into anything that she would later regret—or could even put her in danger.

Her friends were still looking for her, that much he was sure off. Once she was back on the grid and located by Konoha's tracking team, there would be questions. A lot of questions. Questions which they had both thought about and formulated acceptable responses for.

But of course, none of those carefully thought through inventions would fool the expertise of Konoha's grab team if Tenten were to return bearing a child of Uchiha descent.

Traces of him would not go unnoticed by the skilled medical team during their examination of her. It had after all been months since she went missing. It was common procedure to thoroughly interrogate and scrutinize a ninja who had been missing.

This was a step in the right direction, Sasuke praised. There were many skilled rogue ninjas who could easily cast genjustsus to control the mind of wandering shinobi so that they could infiltrate other villages.

It was a thought that had crossed his mind but he couldn't bring himself to use this Tenten as a pawn. He had to protect her at all costs and that was why he decided to let her go.

If he kept her locked up down here with him, then that treasured part of his essence—her—would then go corrupt, just like his half of the whole. He wouldn't have it,his humanity would only be safe if she took it back home with her. To Konoha.

Tenten tipped her head to the side and ran her hands over her breasts and down the center of her stomach. Her fingers toyed with the button at her waistband. "Sasuke…?" Her voice was deeper than normal, husky almost, brushing over his aroused senses like the whisper of a win in a gambler's ear.

"Only if you're absolutely sure," each breath he took caused his chest to brush against her breasts, rubbing over her already sensitized nipples.

She struggled to keep him from noticing her reaction. But she could tell from the look in his eyes that he knew she really did want him. She was his for the taking, after all they were one.

He was like darkness and she was his light. Together they found balance in each other because in darkness there had to be some light, and in light there was always a bit of darkness.

**_And when the daylight comes I'll have to go,_**

**_But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close,_**

**_Cause in the daylight, we'll be on our own,_**

**_But tonight I need to hold you so close._**

She pulled her hair free, shaking her head, letting it cascade down her back. He saw brown and closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of her, letting the feel of her totally overwhelm him. He needed her like the air that he breathed and he followed that desire the way he'd always allowed all his cravings—the good, the bad and the in-betweens—to rule his life.

It was in these rare moments that he questioned his choices, that he questioned his motives.

Looking back, maybe he could have done things differently. But he wasn't keen on fate or destiny; he would simply shape reality into whatever he wanted it to be. He couldn't change the reality however, that he couldn't keep Tenten in his world because the things you loved most have to be let go if at all you truly care for it.

And if by chance, a day comes along when you're finally reunited, then it means that it was always yours to begin with.

They would see each other again, he was sure of it. But they would come to both dread and relish that moment—that moment they'd become whole again. In that moment, on opposite sides of the battle field, darkness shall challenge light for utter and complete dominance.

She'd stand behind her village and he'd pursue his vendetta. There could only be one victor, either she prevailed in his darkness or he in her light. Either way one side of him would cease to exist.

So perhaps tonight they ought to co-exist as darkness and light for one last time.

Grasping her waist, he lifted her slightly and lowered his mouth to hers. He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, tasting her with small delicate darts.

The hands around his neck tightened but he didn't hurry. Slipping his tongue past her lips, he ran it over hers. He stroked his way into her mouth before retreating and coming back again.

His dark head lowered, she shuddered as he plastered hot wet trails of kisses along the length of her neck.

Her legs buckled and she touched her heart in a gasp.

**_Here I am staring at your perfection, in my arms, so beautiful…_**

**_This sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out…_**

**_Somebody slow it down…This is way, too hard…_**

**_Cause I know… when the sun comes up I will leave…_**

**_This is my last glance… that will soon be memory._**

One night was all they had to sate the raw appetite they had for each other. It was only natural for them to realize the urgency with which their situation had to be handled.

Tomorrow they'll be separated, each leaving a piece of themselves with the other in hopes that it'll be enough to last for an eternity.

Sasuke followed the movement of her hand with his eyes before he lowered his lips to the tops of her breasts with exquisite tenderness.

She swallowed the aching cry in her throat, fixed her fingers more firmly in his hair to keep him close.

She didn't want to leave, but she knew she had to. With war waging between the Leaf and the Sound, there was great demand for the corpse of any leaf shinobi found on the Sound's grounds. Not to mention, that she'd be putting Sasuke in danger if Orochimaru were to find out that he was harbouring a trespasser in his quarters.

He had gone through the trouble of casting a number of barrier-like justsu around his chambers to ensure that no one detected her presence. But with the pressure of war and numerous security breaches it would become near impossible to keep her hidden.

Sasuke became adamant about getting her out and returning her to the village. He said that he couldn't promise what would happen the next time they met but for now she would be guaranteed her safety with him.

At first it was hard to comprehend his actions towards her but she later began to understand that she somehow reminded him of his past self—something he still clung to.

Her fear of him soon began to morph into respect and though she hadn't a clue why she could relate so closely with him, she found comfort in just being in his presence. His rage, his passion, they all seemed to fuel hers and in turn induced her understanding of him and his motives.

Sasuke lingered over her heart, nuzzled the plump skin.

She wanted to drop back against the softness of his bed, feel the weight of his body above hers. She wanted to take him into her lonely soul with such a violent desire, she trembled in need. After such a narrow escape from death, her heart begged for life. It pulsed in her breast, demanding sweet solace. A touch. A kiss. A mark to prove she was still alive—and not alone.

He kissed the dip between her neck and shoulder. The hot mark of his lips stirred her insides with frightening passion, making her shiver along with the coldness that lashed at her skin when her pants went.

"Ten?" he asked again, sounding somewhat unsure after he sought her lips again.

He sank into the kiss with an exquisite lack of haste, deepening the intimate strokes of his tongue until her legs trembled and desire gushed through her, pooling low in her belly, leaving her body tense with need.

He was still giving her the chance to back out. How very noble of him, Tenten mused to herself.

No words were needed as confirmation, she slipped his shirt over his shoulders and worked her way with his trousers. Soon both their clothes were in a pool at their feet and they were left basking in the beauty and comfort of each other.

They were quiet for awhile, the sound of their ragged breathing and unsteady heart beating meshed together as though composing a melody about the coming together of lost souls.

**_And when the daylight comes I'll have to go,_**

**_But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close,_**

**_Cause in the daylight, we'll be on our own,_**

**_But tonight I need to hold you so close._**

He lifted her, half-walking, half-carrying her to his bed, kissing her collarbone and shoulders, sending waves of pleasure over her entire body.

She sank into the softness of his pillows, the anticipation of what was to come rendering her breathless. The thought of him inside her made her languid and malleable. His bigness, his maleness, was overwhelming.

She remembered thinking when she first saw him out of his clothes some weeks ago, that his long, hard body appeared to be made for the events that would now play out.

Like a weapon and its master, she yielded to his every touch; giving herself up to him, and he doing to same to her. Darkness and light—ying and yang, together as one.

She felt her body readying for him, having rid themselves of the scraps of fabric between them. He climbed above her and she arched into him, unprepared for the onslaught of erotic sensations as his body seemingly stroked hers from head to toe.

Every inch of his skin presented new textures and temperatures—warm, hot, soft, firm, hard, rough.

Tenten threaded her fingers through his thick, dark hair and moaned as he drew on her nipple.

She gasped when he took the nipple between his teeth and applied light pressure. She bucked when the sensation arrowed directly to her core and pleaded for him to do it again. To which, he complied willingly.

She skimmed her hands over the smooth, muscled expanse of his back, then down the indentation of his spine, to clasp his firm behind. He groaned and rocked his pelvis against hers with the promise of future delights.

She felt the intensity of her need for him in the center of her legs "Sasuke…" his name escaped her lips.

"Yes?"

"Do it now."

His breath caught in his throat and stayed there. He reached down and his hands found their mark between her legs. She was hot, wet and ready. But he hesitated, feeling the need to acknowledge the fact that she was surrendering—no submitting herself to him. The guilt kicked it in, he felt like a puppet master pulling the strings, like he had somehow manipulated her into feeling for him.

But they couldn't afford for this moment to pass. So he supposed, they'd have to suffer the consequences and the bare guilt later. Bliss was at arm's reach.

"Sasuke…" she begged him.

He forgot to feel anything besides the passion scorching his insides.

His masculine physique suddenly towered over her, every perfectly formed muscle. She looked up into his eyes, locked in his gaze the moment he gripped her hips and raised them to him. Then suddenly she had more heat than she bargained for as his body covered hers and he thrust inside her.

Her cry was caught by his mouth. She knew what it was; she had just forgotten to expect it, which was probably a good thing.

He went dead still at her moment of pain, but he was still deep inside her and touching the most sensitive spot he could have found. "Tenten?"

**_I never wanted to stop because I don't want to start all over…_**

**_I was afraid of the dark but now it's all that I want…_**

Her brilliant chocolate eyes opened and she watched him take her. Their bodies melted together in fluid grace. Her softness cradled every hard place on him, molding to his chest, and his thighs. Every delicate curve offered him completion.

Buried to the hilt, he briefly closed his eyes, absorbing the incredible sensation of her body clamped around him like a hot, silken fist. Then, with his gaze on hers, he eased out nearly all the way, and thrust deep. Her lips parted, emitting a low rumbling sound of approval.

She was vaguely aware that he had called her name.

He thrust again and again, long, smooth, deep strokes that quickened into driving plunges, each one urging him closer to detonation.

Her breathing turned choppy and her fingers bit into his shoulders. When a cry broke from her lips and she arched beneath him, only then did Sasuke let himself go.

They no longer existed as halves, bounded to the compulsion of each other. With this they both realized that they hadn't been searching for love, until this very moment, the moment they physically became one. The moment their bodies, souls, hearts meshed together in unison.

**_And when the daylight comes I'll have to go,_**

**_But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close,_**

**_Cause in the daylight, we'll be on our own,_**

**_But tonight I need to hold you so close._**

Tenten didn't want to wake up.

Sasuke couldn't bring himself to sleep.

Both wishing morning would postpone its arrival. Neither wanted to give up the warmth, peace and comfort they discovered in each other.

But they knew it was for the best. That it'd be safer apart. He needed to keep what little good he had left in him away from the clutches of darkness, therefore he had let her go. And she needed to keep her dark side from overpowering her, therefore, she had to leave him.

From the beginning, they understood that what they had between them could not blossom into anything beyond a spur of the moment. Together they found balance yes, but apart there was neither a dominant nor recessive half. They were equals. And though neither of them would admit it, they both glorified the thought.

Tenten stirred in her sleep. Sasuke's gaze wandered over her glossy auburn hair and the ivory-smooth slope of her bare shoulder. She made a moaning sound and shifted against him, her silky skin touching him from chest to knee beneath the covers.

He didn't want to wake her.

But he hadn't a choice. Dawn was upon them.

They needed to leave before daybreak. It'd give them the advantage they needed. She wasn't as fast as he was, and she still hadn't recovered fully from the ordeal she had gone through when he first discovered her, so an early start would be best.

"Tenten," he shook her lightly. For every second that she didn't budge he hated himself even more.

She opened her sleep-heavy eyes and their gazes met. To his mortification, hot tears welled in her eyes. She looked away, but he'd clearly seen the sheen because he reached under her chin and tilted her face up towards his.

She made a swipe under her eyes which, much to her embarrassment it continued to leak silent tears.

This was the part that he had not been looking forward to. "Beautiful things don't belong in my world. My reality will make you ugly," he tried to explain.

This brought on a fresh onslaught of tears. "And that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," she pled defiantly.

"That's a sacrifice I will not tolerate." It reminded him all too much of the time Sakura tried to stop him from leaving. He remembered how broken up his team mates had been about his departure and he decided that he didn't want that for Tenten. But she couldn't stay. He wouldn't have it that way, as much his heart objected.

An idea crossed his mind as he thought of the heartache she'd have to live with. He activated his Sharingan.

She looked up at him, her brown eyes wet with tears, her lashes spiky, and whatever small part of his heart might have remained his own, he lost with that single look. "What are you doing?"

He cradled her tearstained face between his hands and brushed at the wetness lingering on her cheeks with his thumbs. "You've kept my humanity safe, so this time I'll be the one to bear the burden of our shared sentiments." He leaned down and lightly kissed her lips.

He decided that he'd carry their memories around with him, in hopes that one day he would become his own source of compassion. The distress that they would cause her would haunt her very consciousness. She'd feel like a traitor to her own village and a fool in her heart. And he did not want that for her. He'd much prefer she remembered her life before she'd met him.

For several long seconds she simply looked at him with an unreadable expression and he wished like hell he knew what she was thinking.

Finally she shook her head furiously, "Memories are all that'll have left of you, please don't take them away from me."

"I promise I'll return them…" he told her softly. "Once you've passed Inoichi's psyche evaluation," he smirked wryly.

She knew he was lying but before she got a chance to turn her head away from his piercing red gaze, she found herself fading to the blackness. A few minutes later she regained her sense of self.

With no recollection of the previous months she flinched at the sight of the powerful Uchiha. Her lips trembled, "Sasuke?"

"Its daylight," he merely stated before feeling a warm, thick, bloody tear graze his cheek.

**Inspired by the song "Daylight" by Maroon 5**

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><p><strong>AN: This is sort of like a follow-up one-shot of You Are The Only Exception :) I know, what a typical asshole move, lay a girl and then take away her memory. But Sasuke's reasoning was clear, I hope...? Please Review.**


	4. My Heart Will Go On

**A Sweet Addiction**

**Chapter Four — My Heart Will Go On**

**Dedicated to Sunshine1381! Happy birthday!**

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><p><strong><em>Every night in my dreams,<em>**

**_I see you,_**

**_I feel you,_**

**_That is how I know you go on…_**

There was a great weight on her chest, and the sharp taste of vomit in her throat. She gagged and heaved again, making her throat hurt. Behind closed lids she saw a flash of crimson, something that seemed to plague even her very consciousness.

Her eyes flung open, they burned, refusing to focus. Through the haze she could make out the pale quarter-moon that shined in the clear skies outside her window.

She tossed and turned and grumbled, until she fnally got up.

Again.

These days she found that she couldn't get much sleep, not that it granted her genuine peace. The harmony she knew seemed under an illusion.

The medics had speculated that it was probably as a result of the protective mechanism of her mind kicking in. While her conscious mind wasn't able to recall a single detail of her alleged tribulation, they reckoned that subconsciously it were not so. So in order to minimize the possibility of recollections from her previous ordeal, her brain rejected sleep.

Clad in her long, cotton nightgown, barefoot she paced the empty apartment building finally stopping to peer outside a large window in her sitting room. She gazed down at the small pond and gardens below. The entire area shimmered under bright moonlight. It glowed with a magical quality, one that called to her.

At the thought that maybe a walk would soothe her unease mind, she slipped her feet into a pair of sandals without bothering to fetch a coat and headed outside and into the night air.

It certainly wasn't normal to feel so at ease yet so unease.

Tenten shivered a little in the almost disturbingly sensual draught of the Konohan night. It wrapped round her like silken gauze, teasing her skin with its subtle caress.

Ever since she had resurfaced into the village—she thought it appropriate to use the word resurface, because she hadn't a clue where she had been for the past couple of months—she had been going on these late night expeditions.

**_From across the distance,_**

**_And spaces between us,_**

**_You have come to show you go on…_**

There was something so enticing about the darkness, about the coldness, it called out to her and she was drawn to it, enthralled by it actually. In response to its plea she'd let it take her wherever it wanted to. Usually it'd lead her to her team's training ground where she'd lie on the grass and stare up into the sky wishing she could find answers amongst the stars.

Where had she been? What happened to her? Why couldn't she remember the past month?

Perhaps it was a good thing that she hadn't any memory of the last couple of months. Maybe it would have been too difficult to handle the reality of what really happened. She couldn't help but feel however, that a huge chunk of her soul had left along with her memory.

Not only that, her heart seemed to have fled as well only to be replaced by the darkened soul of another.

Where could she possibly go from here when she didn't even know where here was?

She sighed, pushing the wooden gate open and slipped out onto the streets of Konoha. A chill blew over her face and raised goose bumps on her neck. Still, it was a lovely night, and the moon shone high overhead.

She found herself walking down an unfamiliar pathway but her mind was too busy trying to fill the empty space with logical optimism. She would finally be allowed to resume training and take on missions in a couple of weeks. That'd be a great way to get her mind off that it which it couldn't conjure and something to look forward to.

Her teammates had suggested that she moved on from the incident, as it did no good to dwell on the past and forget to anticipate the future. Honestly she couldn't agree more. Still, no matter how hard she tried to let go, she simply couldn't.

Her gaze locked on to a stone bench that overlooked a statue, and she moved toward it, not sure why she was so drawn by it. Then again, these days she wasn't sure about much.

Tenten sat down and spread her hands over the cool stone. She stared ahead and felt a glimmer of sadness. It made no sense, but she knew she had sat here before, and she knew that she had felt fear.

**_Near, far, where ever you are,_**

**_I believe that the heart does go on…_**

She raised her hands to cup her face and leaned over, huddled on the bench. It was there, just out of reach, so close she could feel the heavy weight of misery, of indecision.

Then she remembered. This was the same bench a certain Uchiha had left Sakura heartbroken and drenched in tears. This was the same bench she sat on and worried whether Neji and the rest of their friends would return safely from Uchiha's rescue mission.

It sort of made sense, she thought to herself. She had sat and felt fear here—fear of losing her team mate. Both memories held similar sentiments—after all, Sakura had felt fear of losing a comrade too, however it didn't quite sum up why Tenten was so drawn to the bench.

She shivered as she eased down onto the cold stone bench and clutched her arms around her trembling body. She glanced down at her feet but couldn't summon any rebuke for having gone out in the chill without a cloak.

The brunette sat there, rocking back and forth, her arms wrapped protectively around her abdomen. The wind picked up, chasing a chill down her spine, but she ignored the discomfort.

Something that felt like a hand graced her bare shoulders. She flinched and looked up but there was nobody there. There was an eerie presence but it didn't feel like that of a living creature, or anything living for that matter. She slid to the end of the bench, the rough stone scratching against her clothing.

Then she leapt to her feet and began to run without a destination in mind.

She felt it behind her, like a cold hand trying to snake its way around her waist. The thought that maybe it had been her mind playing tricks on her never occurred. She fled down the streets with a speed she was pretty sure Lee would have praised her for.

She came across an abandoned compound near the edge of the village and without bothering to use the gates she jumped over the fence and landed harshly on a sharp pebble.

Tenten hissed in pain but had to bite her lips as she felt and heard the gush of wind that had been trailing her pass by. It wasn't until she heard the faint sound of breeze rustling leaves in the distance that she turned around to scan her surroundings. Silently she wondered if it had somehow been leading her all along.

Through the darkness she could faintly make out a fan shaped symbol painted on one of the buildings stationed at the front of the massive compound. She gasped, having stumbled upon Uchiha property.

She spun on her heels in an attempt to leave but the cold draught was back again, its hands closed around her shoulders as though spinning her around to face her environment. The image of a man flashed across her mind, anger glinted in his eyes, and displeasure tightened his jaw but she couldn't recognize him. And just as the image had come it went.

Tenten moved deeper into the campus and inhaled the brisk night air. The salty breeze tasted tangy on her lips, and her fingers crept higher to pull the night gown more firmly around her body. She shivered with the cold but was reluctant to depart so soon. She felt connected to the place somehow.

It felt connected to her.

**_Once more, you open the door,_**

**_And you're here in my heart and my heart will go on and on._**

The cliché of it all was ludicrous—pathetic even. But intruding on clandestine exchanges didn't prove effective. Nor did stalking the ex leaf-nin aided them in coming any closer to unearthing some sort of veracity as to what had truly been inducing such tumult in the vicinity of his chamber.

In their frenzied desperation they eventually resorted to spying and pressing their ears against their walls. Much to their disappointment their minds were only refreshed with the initial cause of the bags beneath their bloodshot eyes and their unsettled and dejected demeanours.

The harmonious strain of metal against metal that had once filled the night air with a somewhat soothing lullaby gradually became non-existent. Only to be replaced by the spine-chilling sounds of a man in desperate need of some serious angry management classes—or so it would seem.

What else could account for the oscillating stone walls separating the rooms, and the loud stifled whimpers and groans that reverberated in the room down the hall?

**_Love can touch us one time and last for a life time_**

**_And never let go til we're gone…_**

He remembered how the candles would burn low, filling the air with its fragrance and although he could not see it, he could sense the soft light that wormed its way into his chamber each morning as they woke. He'd feel her there even before he felt himself. He could feel her flowing though him, making his chest ache, causing a tremor to run through him from the tips of his fingers to the ends of his toes.

One brown eye before the other—they'd open, to catch him staring down at her as though sparing a blink would mean risking the possibility of her vanishing. She'd sit up, brushing back her hair, her face flushed with sleep and yawned, "Good morning Sasuke."

"Hn…" he'd begin extinguishing the candles, his heart light with a fervour he couldn't fathom. It was as though all that he had once felt and all that he felt in the moment collided and dispersed before he could hold either.

She had never once complained about his lack of speech or inability to entertain. His and her silence granted them a mutual sense of understanding, because in their world…actions spoke louder than words. And he missed that companionable quietness. She somehow made it easy to relax, to be himself, to merely exist.

He recalled lying awake in the dead of the night with her curled against him—too haunted by sweet dreams he knew would never take the form of reality. His troubled mind, his tormented heart would all seem to ease at the sound of hers beating.

At the subtle hint of even a moment of his disquiet, she'd snuggle closer in her state of subconsciousness. Her arms would tighten protectively around his middle, her warmth burning into his back.

And he missed that, especially now as the cold mist slithered against him and snuck beneath his quilt to crawl over his skin. He stirred; he shivered burrowing deeper under the covers, but found no warmth.

**_Love was when I loved you. One true time, I hold to_**

**_In my life we'll always go on…_**

Loneliness.

It was something that he had grown accustomed to. But ever since her arrival and departure into and out of his life, he struggled to cope with his destined plight. He had taken her memory, out of fear that she wouldn't be able to endure the pain that would come along with it.

As his heart thudded powerfully in his chest, a constant reminder of how empty he felt without her, it served as a reminder of the reasons he'd often turn to darkness for comfort.

The reason being that in order to protect oneself from sadness one had to protect himself from happiness. Therefore he had to cast a shadow over the light she had worked into his life. How could it even be justified that darkness was the absence of light and not the absence of love?

With a resolute sigh, he rose to full length. The muscle of his heart clenched and his throat tightened painfully. His closed lids opened to reveal a pair of activated Sharingan. At his sides chakra infused arms rose to the destruction of anything in their paths. And so his nightly routine would begin.

He'd work himself to exertion finally throwing himself down on his bed—the last piece of standing furniture. He'd stared at the ceiling in startled silence, his expression intense but unreadable. A palm over his throbbing chest, he would lay down, basking in the feel and sound of his rapidly beating heart—hers.

He may no longer be able to protect her in the physical world but beneath his fingers, where the heart that was solely hers throbbed, he could keep her and her memories safe.

**_You're here! There's nothing I fear and I know that my heart will go on…_**

**_We'll stay, forever this way,_**

**_You are safe in my heart and my heart will go on and on_**

**Inspired by "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is part three of "You Are The only Exception" Sadly, I don't think there will be a continuation of the storyline. The three-shot was just to show how briefly they lasted in each other's worlds but how permanently etched they ended up being in each other's heart. Please Review **


	5. Imprisonment

**A Sweet Addiction**

**Chapter Three—Imprisonment**

**A/N: I know, it has been years since I updated this collection. I have so many SasuTen written on my PC (totally obsessed) but for a while I drifted out of the fandom and didn't want to post any. The last three chapters were parts of a three-shots; the story-line will not be continued. This one-shot is literally FOUR years old and it's "Non-death of my husband," Hyuuga Neji. Fuck canon :) **

"Bastard—"

"— Brat!"

There was a low, primal growl followed by a feline snarl, signaling the beginning of a lovely reunion—not.

Emerald eyes darted between a pair of fiery, amber orbs and blatantly peeved charcoal ones. Metal clinked against glass, filling the air with the beautiful sound of ensuing chaos. A pale fist came in contact with the wooden surface, rattling the glassware and startling the occupants of the narrow, rosewood table.

There were a few seconds of dramatic silence and then pages of Kakashi's erotic novel rustled in the light breeze that seemed to come out of nowhere. Naruto slurped noisily on his ramen, adding to the demolition of the stillness. The handsome Hyuuga was too busy pretending as though everyone else around the table were merely apparitions to care about anything.

A sigh escaped Sakura's thin lips as she scrutinized the growling duo—no doubt mentally lacerating the other limb by limb and carefully plotting what they'd do with the remains. She, like her other colleagues couldn't quite cast their minds back as to when this gruesome enmity emerged between the Uchiha prodigy and the Weapon Mistress.

Maybe this bonding dinner had all been a mistake, the pinkette thought, toying with the contents of her plate. It was bad enough that Lee and Gai-sensei were both on a mission and had to miss out, having to listen to Tenten and Sasuke's constant bickering was plain agonizing.

It seemed the time they spent together after the brunette was assigned as Sasuke's warder did nothing but strengthened their bond—their bond of hatred. Tsunade had thought it best that the avenger be watched by someone who shared no history with him. That was after Naruto dragged him back to the village by his scruffs. Tenten got the job. She hadn't exactly been thrilled about the idea, but the Godaime told her it was a choice between babysitting the Uchiha or a life of D-ranked missions.

The threat of crippling her reputation and stats by choosing the former led Tenten to surrender. She made no bones about regretting the decision however. "If it was left up to me Uchiha, you would have been drowned at birth," the bun haired Kunoichi grimaced, her voice laced with animosity, eyes narrowing disdainfully at him.

"Coming from the girl whose purpose is still in question, I'm offended," Sasuke drawled caustically. He caught glimpse of the slight clench of the pearly eyed ANBU captain's jaws at his comment and smirked.

The Hyuuga was a little too easily provoked by his jabs at Tenten for Sasuke to be not suspicious. He didn't understand the reason for it—didn't think he was comfortable with it. Still, his mouth quirked, a look of triumph in his eyes for what he believed to have been Neji's show of possessiveness.

The Byakugan user's lips parted as if to retort on Tenten's behalf but she beat him to it.

"Stop doing that!" she snapped, her eyes were hard as she looked at him.

"Stop doing what?" Sasuke asked, somewhat confused but more annoyed. Tenten had a tendency to make the most irrational demands of him.

Women, he brooded silently.

They were rather fascinating creatures who—in his opinion—should be categorized as an entirely different species from that of humans or any other mammals. They weren't aliens for sure, but the fact that they could be so easy manipulated if you knew all the right buttons to push did give them some sort of robotic characteristic. In fact, before he came to that conclusion he had always thought that they should come with an instruction manual. Although he highly doubted that a book could explain the complexity of the female's mind.

In all honesty when it came to the opposite sex, it felt as if he was undergoing additional ninja training. And the likelihood that he'd obtain a pass in the said branch of studies did not look promising—at least that was how it seemed with Tenten. And while he was a tiny bit taken with her, she was yet another female with issues. Issues that she single-handedly inaugurates to cause problems.

Tsunade couldn't have chosen a better way to punish him than appointing Tenten as his parole officer. The woman was a fucking nutcase.

"That thing where your mouth opens and sounds come out," she answered tersely. To his everlasting astonishment, there wasn't a trace of jocularity in her expression. She was being serious.

"Calm down you two," Kakashi warned, flipping the pages of his Icha Icha Paradise novel. "I'm at a very crucial scene."

"Have you ever heard of selective hearing?" Sasuke shot at his former sensei.

"That's no way to speak to your superior," Tenten told him sternly, folding her arms.

"I don't have superiors—" he arrogantly proclaimed. "—or equals," he dealt her a scathing onceover.

She closed her eyes briefly, deeming him unworthy of her attention. Sasuke sneered at her condescending attitude towards him. Who did she think she was, giving him the silent treatment? And most importantly, why did it bother him?

He spent years trying to evade female advances and now that he'd finally encountered someone who disregarded his good looks, it unnerved him to no ends. He couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't even his ego at play here.

"It's rather unsociable to be reading porn at the table Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto slammed his fist against the table, the delicate Chinas rattled along with everyone's teeth.

Neji frowned disapprovingly at the hyperactive blonde and Sakura tried her best not the pummel the fox boy to death.

"Keep quiet moron!" she grated, slapping him across his forehead. "Please pardon his discourtesy," Sakura blushed in apology, lowering her lashes at Neji.

Tenten caught a sideway glance of the thoroughly amused expression that cracked his stoic mask and arched a brow at the flushing rosette medic. Did she miss something?

"Jealousy is the first sign of fangirlism," Sasuke stated and everyone's eyes diverted to the Sharingan user. Tenten fumed, knowing that his statement was directed at her, blushing with the realization that everyone knew it too.

"Of course you'd know that, since you're the head of Haruno's fan club," she spluttered bitterly.

His spine visibly stiffened and Tenten congratulated herself on her mini-accomplishment. Everyone knew that Sasuke found his onetime teammate obnoxious and less likely to be a suitable candidate for that empty space in his heart—if he actually had one. Then there was the fact that Sakura's affection seemed to have diverted down a snowy path. Apparently she had taken a liking to the colour white_._

Tenten scoffed; pink was definitely not Neji's colour.

The glare Sasuke shot her sent electric shivers up and down her spine—paralyzing her for a moment.

Then the corners of his lips curled upwards, "Jealousy isn't a good colour on you Panda," he countered smugly.

"The day I find myself feeling self-conscious because of boy, I'll run a kunai through my skull." Tenten snarled, causing Sakura to snicker. "Because obviously my brain would be malfunctioning then."

"Panda?" Naruto and Neji asked simultaneously, exchanging puzzled glances.

There was the sound of mild shuffling beneath the table. Tenten's foot connected with Sasuke's shin. If he were a lesser person, he would have gasped but being the collected and sometimes callous bastard that he was—more often than not, he caught her foot between his knees and regarded his flustered colleagues with a composed mien.

"You didn't just call Tenten-chan panda, did you, teme?" Naruto asked.

"Did I fumble on my words, dweeb?"

Tenten twisted her imprisoned foot between his knees but Sasuke wouldn't bulge. "Uchiha..." she warned between gritted teeth.

Sakura eyed her suspiciously but continued with her meal occasionally stealing glances at the impassive Uchiha.

Tenten shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She held her breath for a tense couple of seconds when she felt a cold hand teasingly trailing the length of her leg. The touch chilled her to the bones, causing goose bumps to sprout from her skin. She had to bite her lips to refrain from moaning and chose instead to shoot the culprit a seething look of reproach.

Sasuke was as self-possessed as ever, eating his clam chowder as if it were a normal thing to have his hand up a woman's skirt while having dinner with friends.

Internally she was having a physical melt-down. Externally her tight expression could easily have been interpreted as the look of someone who had just seen a ghost.

"Uchiha..." she warned venomously, their eyes met and locked. "Remove your hand," she mouthed soundlessly. Being the spitefully little the wretch that he was, he grasp a handful of her thigh. Her pink lips parted and her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates at the shock of his audacity. Then again, he was Uchiha Sasuke, she should have gotten used to his uncultured ways.

"Please close your mouth Tenten, I do not wish to see how many flies you trapped this morning," Sasuke snorted. "I'm eating."

Her jaws dropped, nostrils flared.

Seeing the effect that he was having on her, the handsome prodigy smirked.

Gathering some amount chakra in her feet she was able to break free of his knees. Then she stood, glaring daggers at the smug man, suppressing the urge to pour her drink down his shirt.

"Uchiha, watch your mouth," Neji told him calmly but his eyes held a promising threat. And like she had been doing ever since his return to the village, Sakura sided with anyone who opposed him.

She sent him a glare that Sasuke knew Neji must have been particularly proud of.

Tenten was still gaping at him—mission accomplish Sasuke thought—piss the brunette off, and then find a way to get out of this stupid dinner. The whole charade was ridiculous. It stung a little to accept that Sakura had arranged the dinner solely to have an excuse to see the Hyuuga. If Tenten hadn't threatened to have his chakra resealed, he wouldn't have been in attendance. It was sickening. He suspected that the weapon-wielder fancied herself as a matchmaker. She believed in fortunetelling, so he wouldn't put it past her.

"Hey, that was not nice teme!" Naruto grabbed Sasuke by his collars.

"Unhand me idiot!" he scoffed.

"Apologize to Tenten!" Naruto barked.

Sasuke glared at the fuming blonde, "No."

To everyone's surprise, it wasn't Naruto nor Tenten's fist that linked with the pale flesh of his jawbones. It was Sakura's—glowing an angry shade of green much like her eyes.

The Uchiha was dumbstruck.

There was a pregnant silence, until Tenten frowned and turned on her heels followed by the pounding of Naruto's fist on the table and an irritated Kakashi telling them to be quiet. Neji was next to take his leave, bidding his farewell to Sakura and Naruto not bothering to disturb Kakashi.

"Tenten!" Neji called after his teammate.

"What?" Sasuke frowned, noting how sorrowfully Sakura's gaze dropped low after the Hyuuga disappeared from her line of vision.

"Do not speak, Uchiha," she warned the perplexed prodigy.

Since when was he, Uchiha and not Sasuke-kun?

OoOoOoO

Tenten's room was large and airy, with white tasteful walls and tasteful cherry-wood furniture. Sasuke barely noticed it, his mind was sluggish, his thoughts disorientated and hazy. He was running on adrenaline, driven by chemistry. Tenten as usual was the only reality and he felt obsessive in his need for her tonight.

"What took you so long to get here Uchiha?" she turned her face to the side in order to stop the onslaught of his lips.

"Don't you think it'd raise speculations if I took off right after you did?" he asked, taking in her attire tonight.

She had dressed for dinner in a dark blue taffeta strapless dress with a puffed skirt and a big bow in back. The dress started low enough for a tempting glimpse of her creamy breast and ended soon enough to show her long, elegant legs. The bow to his amusement even focused attention on her delicious looking derriere.

It was the first he had ever seen her out of her usual ninja gear. Though having removed them from her body on a number of occasions, he knew she had a wonderful figure. The fullness of her breasts tapered down to a slender waist, the narrowness of her hips almost coltish when coupled with those long, long legs.

She was so hauntingly beautiful she almost took his breath away.

"You took an hour," she told him pointedly. Her hands paused on his second button and she looked accusingly at him, her brown eyes were calm yet challenging. Sasuke experienced a sense of heightened expectation, growing excitement. He felt reckless and eager for whatever the night would bring.

"Naruto and Sakura forced me to stay," his arm went around her waist and he gave the bow a tug. "Does this thing come off if I pull at the bow?" he asked, changing the subject. He couldn't risk getting on her nerves tonight—sleeping with her would then be like caressing a wildcat. Then again, the prospect held some appeal.

"You'll just have to try and see," she answered with an impish smile. Her forehead ceased and she put a hand out to stop him. "Was I convincing?"

He reached for her and they wrestled tenderly. "Very," he replied when he finally got her back into his grasp. Kissing her neck he asked, "Don't you find it rude that we blew off the dinner just to sneak up here?"

Tenten giggled, squirming as his breath tickled her skin. "Are you complaining?" She idly drew her fingers along his lower lips. "Because I'm not."

"I'm not," Sasuke protested. He pulled her closer and nuzzled her lips with his. "But-–"

"This is more fun," Tenten murmured.

"—Sakura put a lot of time and effort in planning tonight."

Tenten pulled away from him to open the curtains in her room allowing the moon to shine in, silvering the big double bed. "I'm making you an offer Uchiha, if you feel so bad about it then go back to Sakura and her dinner," she suggested rolling her eyes. "She might even have more than just a meal in mind."

"I didn't mean it like that," he said straight-faced.

She came back to him and wounded her arms around his neck. "Or have you grown bored with me?" she whispered against his lips.

He frowned at her. "Is that even possible?" he asked, biting her lower lip. "I think Neji suspects something," he grasped her waist again.

"Neji's too smart for his own good," she whispered absently, then added impatiently, "Are you going to undress me or not?"

"Don't think you're going to have to ask me a second time," he breathed.

Sasuke ran his hands down the smooth skin of her back till they reached the blue bow. One tug and it was undone. The dress hung loose on her now. He ran his hands up under the puffed-out skirt caressing her thighs and her delicate rear. "It looks like this is the way it comes off," his lips brushed against her ear then he nibbled and sucked on the delicious little lobe.

"I do feel bad about ditching Sakura," Tenten admitted.

With the dress off, he took off her pumps, and then slowly peeled of her pantyhose with lingering hands. She unhooked and wriggled out of her bra, while he took care of the lace string bikini. "I feel bad for the Hyuuga," Sasuke retorted drily.

"You shouldn't," she teased, "Because, if Sakura doesn't take him off the market, then I certainly will."

Black eyes flashed angrily, "You are off the market," His hands circled her waist. He held her away from him to bask in her beautiful. She was so full of unexpected surprises and softness that he knew would yield gently to accommodate his own hardness.

"Am I?" she elevated an amused brow.

The chocolate depths of her eyes brought out every possessive instinct he possessed. Beauty and vulnerability—the combination was deadly. "Don't talk like that Panda," he nuzzled her neck with his nose.

Laughing, she yanked at his shirt, "I don't want to talk at all. I want to scream."

He took her face between his hands and began to kiss her gently at first, then more probing softly with his tongue. "I don't like beginning bossed around," his mouth was cool and it moved like silk over hers leaving a sugary taste on his kiss-swollen lips. A tide of warmth spread through her, ending in a yearning ache between her thighs.

She spread her hands on his shoulders, delighting the silkiness of his skin. "Well get used to it, because I'm in charge," she raked him lightly with her fingernails until he groaned with pleasure. "I've got Hokage-approved documents to prove it; I own you."

"For now?" he attempted to quantify.

"For as long as I want," she countered confidently.

She clung to him as he bent and kissed first one breast, then another, catching a rosy tip between his teeth to lap and tease till she was quivering with desire.

"It's funny how you're always the last one to undress but the first to redress?" Tenten pointed out. He caught her nose between his index and middle finger and yanked at it. It was something he liked to do when he was annoyed with her.

A smirk crept to the corners of his mouth as he looked at her, "That's not true."

"Why do you spend such little time in the bed after—?" she swallowed, a self-conscious blush slashed colour across her cheeks. It had always bothered her, but found that such a peeve of hers was unnecessarily childish. Together they found some semblance of what they couldn't have with their person of interest.

The sex was about scratching that itch—an itch which was clearly not going to go away anytime soon. Especially since both Sakura and Neji seemed vested in whatever it was they were trying to hide from everyone else.

"Haven't you ever heard that's its quality that counts, and not quantity?" he asked bluntly.

"Did Uchiha Sasuke just attempt to make a joke?" Tenten laughed, throwing her head back and slapping his chest playfully.

Lightly pushing her away from him, he scoffed. "I'm just simply stating facts."

"Don't state them, prove them," she grasped his shoulders. Her hands traced patterns over his face and brow; then her mouth found the hollow of his neck. Groaning, he reached behind her and stroked her cool back. His hands dropped lower to cup her buttocks and pull her in against him.

Their bodies melded together, one to the other. Standing on tiptoe she could feel his whole hard length against her, his mouth pressed to hers, his hands holding her tightly. She opened her lips, seeking him, greedily wanting everything of him. Suddenly he put his hands under her legs and scooped her up in his strong arms.

"That's more like it," Tenten chortled.

"I'll wipe that Hyuuga from your mind completely tonight," he whispered in her ear. He placed her gently between the sheets and lay down beside her, drawing her into his arms, kissing with a passion that was answered by her own.

She blushed, "You can try."

He used his fingers and lips and tongue all over her body with such controlled expertise and sensitive savagery that made Tenten feel as though she'd just dissolve. With every stroke, every murmur and soft whisper, he brought her to the point where she moaned under his hands and his satisfyingly merciless mouth. She was helpless against his touch—her body arched into his, pleading for him, demanding him, but he denied them both.

"Don't be so eager," he teased. Bringing himself on top of her, his hands never left her body, stroking, smoothing, and indulging her silent demands. "I'm calling the shots for a change."

"Are you forgetting whose prisoner you are, Raven?" She hungrily sought his mouth with fevered lips and possessed him with smooth, tender hands, her own passion erupting and overflowing.

Sasuke eased off her, reclining in the antique bed. He tested a lock of her hair between his fingers, so long and soft. He had expected to dampened the sexual sting between them by being with her that first night and then writing it off as casual—meaningless and instead? They ended up here, several months later; pretending that they weren't being sucked into each other's orbits, blowing off friends to be together and defying orders.

He couldn't even imagine letting go of what they shared for the sake of following protocol. It wasn't purely physical—as he'd tried to convince himself—they had an understanding. And he needed to show her the way their lives could blend, that he cared about her in a way the self-absorbed Hyuuga never had.

Sasuke took in the every curve draped in a cotton sheet, a blue. She looked damn good in that color. He released the strand over her breast where it curled to rest around the creamy swell. "I don't want to do this."

"What do you mean you don't want to do this? Are you forgetting that I can—" she rasped a fingernail impatiently down his chest. "—have your chakra resealed," she threatened.

He splayed his hand over her ribcage, then upward to toy with a pert nipple. "This is going absolutely nowhere."

She laughed, covering his mouth with her hand. The shadows and pain so intense in her eyes he wanted to scrap the whole conversation and just hold her. She pressed her fingertips to his lips. "All good things eventually come to an end," her shoulders shrugged dismissively, in contrary to the questioning look on her face.

He nipped her finger, then drew it in to soothe away the sting with his tongue. "Why do you treat this so casually?"

She looked down at the bedspread for so long he wondered if she would answer. Would she decide to cut him off at the knees? He wouldn't be pushed aside. He tipped her chin up with a knuckle.

Tenten took sharply indrawn breath. "Because you have a way of making an impression on a person that isn't easy to forget. Treating this like any other fling is my only option for keeping my sanity," she whispered, unable to hold back and finally broke free. "Look at what happened to Sakura and Naruto. I can't risk getting that attached to someone."

Sasuke blinked at her, his usually unexpressive eyes widened in shock. His mouth popped open and then snapped shut quickly—Tenten almost missed it. He shook his head wordlessly as if he had no idea what to say at her sudden declaration.

"Stopping looking at me," she groaned protestingly.

"I can't look at anything else," he said, and his tongue tasted her perfumed skin, his teeth gently nibbling, moving, so that his body was shielding hers completely as one of his hands moved to cup one of those tempting breasts and he felt her body quiver in response to the intimacy.

Her breast fitted perfectly in his hand, her skin so smooth and creamy. His fingers ran them over the sensitive tip of her breast, his mouth moving up to once again capture hers as she groaned her pleasure at his caresses.

She felt so good, so full and heavy—her nipple thrusting tight and rigid against the palm of his hand, her mouth hot and moist as he thrust his tongue deep inside.

Sasuke pressed her back against the pillows to move between her slightly parted legs. He felt her arousal as she moved her thighs against him in silent entreaty. Her lips parted wider for his kiss, and his tongue thrust even deeper inside her mouth, possessing her, claiming her, as he moved the hardness of himself restlessly against her increasing heat.

"I'm obsessed with you," he exclaimed hotly, as his lips left hers to trail a path of fire down the creamy column of her throat to the curve of those creamy breasts, before dipping lower and laying claim to her other thrusting nipple, drawing its stiffness into his mouth and suckling hungrily.

"You were obsessed with Itachi too, and you killed him," she choked out, even as she stared up at him in wonder.

Sasuke looked at her silently for several long seconds before slowly shaking his head. "That was different," he conceded. "This is different. I—"

"What are you saying?" Tenten breathed deeply, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She moved her hips towards his and groaned achingly, her head going back, her neck arching. He was purposely frustrating her, she realized.

Sasuke gave a self-derisive shake of his head. "I never thought I'd say this, but I don't want my probation to end," he confided huskily. His mouth trembled slightly. "However, this isn't about the sex," he told her softly, knowing from her smirk that she had misinterpreted his intentions.

Tenten stared at him—at his tightly clenched jaw, at the bright glitter of his eyes—totally unable to read anything from the harshness of his expression. Then she saw it, something so vulnerable, so profound that words couldn't convey the depth of it.

"You'll always be my prisoner Uchiha," she laughed, trying to reassure him. "Probation or no probation."

And for the rest of the night, he took her, gave himself to her, with every exercise of possession and ecstasy, deepening his sensual enslavement —imprisonment. And hers.

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><p><strong>AN: These are all just a bunch of random ideas that come to mind. I have A LOT of SasuTen one-shots but I'm unsure if anyone still follows this collection so…please review to let me know. Thanks for reading :)**


	6. A Selfish Kind of Love

**A Sweet Addiction**

**Chapter Six – A Selfish Kind of Love**

**A/N: Thank you so much for the previous reviews. Like I said, I've got ton of old SasuTen one-shots that I had written. This one is Non-massacre which means that my Itachi-kun is alive and still resides in the village. Fuck canon :)**

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><p>Dusk found Konoha's Weapon Mistress seated around the dining table of the Uchiha Residence, nursing a warm cup of green tea. Outside, the skies were black and starless. Wind whistled as it travelled through tree branches, piercing the otherwise silent compound.<p>

Night air stole through the slit of a window near the garden. It rustled the curtains and carried with it, the waft of scented flora, damped grass and wet soil. It had been a particularly rainy day, rendering shinobi and civilians alike, housebound.

She hated it, almost as much as she did the man walking towards her. Then he stopped dead as though a repelling force field surrounded her. And he looked at her as he had never in his life looked at her—with seething anger and derision.

His aggressive jaw line clenched.

She was fighting to keep calm, fighting to stay in control and not give way to the reality that she was weak with shock at how unbelievable he was being. The silence between them was ear-drumming; the tension gripped her throat as if it intended to stem her last breath.

"You're not going and that's final," he breathed in a stupendously quiet assurance that nonetheless cut through the surging stillness like a whiplash.

Her face tightened.

Taking the last swig of her warm beverage, she set the cup aside, crossed her feet at the ankles and straightened her back against the chair. She was biting the insides of her mouth—an indication of her escalating temper. He had no right to make such a demand of her, who did he think he was?

One hand tapped impatiently on the hardwood surface and the other, she propped up on its elbows to support the weight of her head. Auburn curls cascaded down her shoulders, framing her cheeks and offered addition warmth against the chilling draught.

Her chin dug into her palms as she moved her mouth to speak. "Are you trying to ruin my career?" brown eyes burnt more golden than the heart of a fire. "I haven't been on a mission in a long time."

Her offender rolled his shoulders and assumed the empty seat across from her. "There will be other missions," he stated casually. His eyes never left her face.

It unnerved her.

"Not like this one," she murmured tautly, cold sweat dampening her upper lip.

"Let's hope not," he derided thickly as if he was having difficulty even getting his words out, but volume-wise he was doing very well.

She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. The anger that washed through her was white-hot and in dire need of release, "What gives you the right to dictate which missions I can and cannot take?" she demanded. "The last time I checked, you weren't the Hokage, Uchiha."

He continued to stare at her with unreadable fixity, eyes black as obsidian, stunningly handsome features as inflexible as a stone carving. "You will decline this one," Sasuke told her with a tone of finality. "You are far too old to be taking on these kinds of missions," he drawled lethally.

If jaws could be unhinged, Tenten's would have fallen to the floor. "Too old?" she was hysteric.

His smirk was unapologetic.

"Do you want to rephrase that Uchiha?" her tiny fist closed into balls and she raised one in warning.

"No, I don't," Sasuke vented a sudden raw and bitter laugh that made her shiver.

"I am not old!" she huffed out an ill-tempered breath, discreetly reaching for a kunai.

Even without the Sharingan he was able to anticipate her moves. He knew her like an opened book. "I never said you were," he countered coolly. Then gently, he dispossessed her of the weapon she seemed to have magically produced and tossed her fragile hand aside.

The bones were so fine he felt he could have broken them with just a fraction more pressure. But he knew of the damage those delicate things could do with sharp objects so he pocketed the kunai, though he knew she had a gazillion more where that came from.

"I said you were too old for this mission," he explained.

She blinked in confusion but plead her case, 'Lady Anko frequents these sorts of missions and she's way older than I am."

"She's uninvolved." Sasuke delivered grittily, black eyes beginning to take on a stormy glitter of gold, the determinedly level drawl now harshening. "I can't say the same for you."

"So, that's—that's what this is all—all about?" she breathed in a chilling assumption that left the avenger rigid.

His broad shoulders were taut with savage tension beneath the fine cloth of his shirt. He studied her with hard, biting derision, dark, deep-set eyes which were frighteningly bleak. "Either you decline the mission, or I'll give you an injury the next time we spar so you can't leave the village."

Anger spiked through her suddenly. Anger at what this man was digging out of her. She turned it towards him to get rid of it—the quickest way she could. "Is that a threat Uchiha?" she demanded belligerently. "I'd mind my own business if I were you."

The hard features hardened abruptly but his voice was calm, "You and that child you carry are my business."

Across the table Tenten froze, unable to breathe. A hole, a gaping slash, had opened up inside her. And she was falling—falling right down into it.

Sasuke watched with satisfaction as emotion jabbed in her eyes, then subsided.

He nodded. "I thought so."

He repossessed his tea and sipped at it. His eyes never left her. Taking in those high cheekbones, the luminous skin, the extraordinary eyes focused once more on picking at her salad, the curly chestnut hair edging the sculpted line of her chin. Raw, rough, resistant—yet she drew the eye. And not just his. He had seen the way the Hyuuga looked at her.

That ship won't sail—it'll sink, Sasuke mused to himself. He planned to erase Neji from her psyche and stamp his own image unto it—ingrain it with permanent ink. That one night had presented him with the opportunity to do just that. Tenten could fight it all she wanted; Sasuke had the kind of leverage that couldn't go away—wouldn't go away.

She started to eat finally, forking the green salad mechanically, "Don't think you can use this against me all the time," she exclaimed, appraising him with embittered contempt. "And don't think that it gives you any control over my life either," she said softly, a slight tremor marring her usual even diction.

He sent her a dark look of scorching aggression, "Well someone has to exert some control, since you obviously have none."

Her eyes snapped back from her plate. "You may have fathered this child Uchiha, you didn't father me," she said.

Sasuke gave a great shout of sardonic laughter.

"Besides, what happened was a mistake!" she flung at him wildly.

"A mistake you say. Then why did it happen over and over again?" The voice was silky again, as if he was holding on to his patience.

Tenten shrugged one shoulder, not replying.

"Why did it?" The silk was wrapping a blade now. She could hear it, and her resentment mounted.

"You were convenient," she retorted dryly.

There was a flicker across the dark eyes, and for a moment she felt she'd pushed too far.

"Convenient?" now the blade was cutting through the silk.

She felt horrible hot and cold at the same time—as if there was ice in her veins and a hot stone in her stomach, and as if her nerves had itching powder in them.

Sasuke took a mouthful of tea, and then set down his mug with a click on the table. "I'd say I was a hell of a lot more than convenient," he said.

Tenten felt her blood sting. "Did you call me over here to gloat?"

"I called you over here to tell you that you can't take the mission."

"That's not for you to decide, now excuse me," she heard herself say the words. Heard them fall like stones. Tight and abrupt.

Sasuke's black spiky lashes lowered, eyes narrowing to glittering pinpoints of ferocious intensity. "Stop being stubborn."

She dumped her napkin on the tabletop, jerking to her feet. "I've got an early start tomorrow, Neji said to meet him at the training ground by five for mission prep," she sounded disjointed, but she couldn't help it.

He got to his feet as well. It registered dimly with her, and for a moment she panicked, thinking she wouldn't be able to get away. Then she realized he was simply standing because she had.

She forced herself to look at him. His face was shuttered again, his expression veiled. "Look, it's nice to know that you aren't as big of an asshole as everyone makes you out to be. But what happened between us was a one time—" Tenten paused, mentally counting off the number of times they had found themselves tangled with each other.

Her eyes widened, as she lost count.

Her thoughts were rags, torn and shredded.

The pit beneath her feet opened. Yawned like the mouth of hell to swallow her up, take her to that place of damnation for her betrayal.

Sasuke smirked at her in triumph; apparently she hadn't realized just how long they had been fooling around with each other.

"I respect Itachi too much to sneak around with his little brother." Tears split her vision, an anguished sob trapping inside her throat. "After all he'd done for me, I can't humiliate him like this."

He laughed. Harsh. Contemptuous. "Don't bring Itachi into this."

If she intended to send him on a guilt trip, it wouldn't work. They hadn't been doing anything wrong. Mentor or not, why should Itachi have a say in her personal affairs?

"That night when the nine-tail fox destroyed my home and left me as a baby among corpses and debris, Itachi rescued me. He placed me in an orphanage—gave me a home, when I had none."

Dark blood scored the high cheekbones which stood out with such chiseled prominence below Sasuke's pale skin. He said nothing, just like he always did whenever she recalled Itachi's heroics. The fierce shaft of pure jealousy that streaked through him whenever she did, always unsettled him.

His brother had only done what any decent shinobi would have done. Why she gave Itachi so much credit, Sasuke never understood.

"He visited me every day after that night. And when the other kids teased me for not being from lineage of prestige—or any lineage for that matter—Itachi thought me that kunai dance," she sniffed. "It was the beginning on my legacy. He made me a master of weaponry—gave me something to harness and call my own when everyone else—"

A lean hand suddenly snapped round her wrist, staying her. Sasuke scanned her strained, tear-wet face with savage dark golden eyes. "I resented you for years."

Tenten pulled free of him in an equally abrupt movement. Even though she was shaking like a leaf and starting to feel rather dizzy, she thrust up her chin in challenge. "Then why are you hell-bent on being a part of something we both know will go nowhere?"

Eyes a scorching, aggressive gold, Sasuke growled, "I don't think you realize the severity of our situation. You're pregnant with my baby Tenten."

He gritted out each word as if it physically hurt. Tenten was so taken aback she simply gaped at him.

"I hated that Itachi was more devoted to a stranger than he was to his own brother," Sasuke confided, in an attempt to follow up on his profession of contempt.

"I had no one, he was only looking out for me," Her face contorted.

"I used to beg him to teach me that technique," Sasuke's black brows furrowed at the memory. "He kept brushing me off. And then that evening—" his voice grew grim. "I found you both in the clearing. You hit all those targets. It was so perfect that I couldn't stop playing it over and over in my head."

She stared at him.

They'd never spoken of their linked childhoods. In fact, they've never had much of a relationship outside of their affiliation with Itachi.

The older Uchiha had taken her to have dinner with his family on a number of occasions but Sasuke had always conveniently been away on those nights. It was not until they both became Anbu and had taken a couple of missions together that they actually got to know each other. Tenten suspected that it was as a result of Itachi's influence, since he was Captain.

Sasuke and Tenten weren't exactly friends per say, but things got a little more complicated when they started sleeping with each other.

In their defense, they were on a mission in the Land of Iron and the weather had taken a particularly nasty turn. They both had to strip out of their clothes and share a sleeping bag for the sake of meshing body heat so they wouldn't freeze to death. With a frightening blizzard outside the cave they took shelter in, it was hard to imagine things not getting a little heated; if not for warmth, then to ease some of the sexual tension between them.

He had wanted her and made the decision to follow through on what he felt about her that had, against all expectation, piqued his interest. She had been laying there, her raw physicality impacting on every nerve ending, those demure, brown eyes of hers signaling an erotic appeal that made him compellingly aware of the naked body snuggled against his—with its voluptuous, high breasts, slight hips and long, slender legs. Even the messy hair, pushed behind her ears, only framed her face more—that extraordinary face.

He had wanted her—had her and knew she felt the same from the way she ran the tips of her fingers across his lips. It had been a coming together of extraterrestrial proportion. And before either one of them knew it, they were becoming hopelessly addicted to each other.

"It wasn't hatred that I felt. It was admiration," he added that part almost grudgingly. "I had never seen nii-san look that proud of anyone—not even me," his voice took on an almost childlike pitch.

Tenten tilted her pounding head to one side, wishing that annoying dizziness afflicting her would recede, and looked at him in increasing bewilderment. "You acted as if I didn't exist when he introduced us that day. And you continued to act that way all throughout our genin days."

A great weariness engulfed her then.

Sasuke loosed a heavy sigh and stretched his big shoulders back. "I was jealous."

"Jealous?" Tenten stammered with a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach for that was something—a very dangerous something, which she had never once suspected.

"You were stealing my brother," he ground out thinly between clenched teeth, misinterpreting her tone as mockery. "Itachi didn't even stay to watch my other Chunin matches after you got beaten half to death by Temari. He rushed to your aid, as always."

Tenten folded her arms jerkily, her legs trembling beneath her. "So, you were sleeping with me all this while for what—revenge? Vengeance?"

Sasuke leapt up like a lion about to spring, an expression of unholy disbelief etched on his tough features. "No damn it!"

Tensing up even more, she paled and stared at him in bewilderment. "Then what for?" she insisted.

"For the same reason you do," The smoothness in his voice was gone. Instead there was something that, just for a moment, seemed to slither over her skin.

After chewing at her lower lip for a second or two, she surrendered and she muttered heavily, "You couldn't possibly—"

"I do," he conceded grittily, his broad chest swelling as he breathed in very deep as if he was having a hard time controlling something.

Then he was walking towards her, stopping dead in front of her. He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek with his palm.

Every muscle in Tenten's body froze. Why was she allowing this to happen again? Itachi trusted her—he trusted them. What was Sasuke doing? Why—? She could only stare at him, eyes huge, distended. He was too close—far too close. How had he got so close? Why?

And then, as if her sensory system were working in slow-motion, she felt the tips of his fingers feathering along the line of her hair. A thousand nerve endings shimmered and she gave a tiny strangled gasp in her throat. His thumb moved leisurely, exploringly over the tender lobe of her ear.

"Itachi had always loved you," he murmured huskily. "His deepest regret was that you weren't an Uchiha—weren't his sister."

Faintness drummed at her. Heat flushed up the column of her throat, beating like a wing. Sensation was thrumming through her like fire licking along her flesh.

Nothing else existed. Nothing except what he was doing.

He was saying something. She could hardly hear it, but then it penetrated—penetrated through the mesh of sensation he was engendering.

His hand grazed down the line of her jaw. The other hand slid around the nape of her neck and drew her to him.

She could not stop him. Could no more stop him than she could have stopped the ocean. Her body slackened against him. She had no strength, no will. No conscious thought.

His mouth closed over hers.

She knew it was wrong—knew that it was shaming but damn it, it was a deep, sensual kiss.

Tenten was drowning. Drowning in the sea of sensation that had closed over her head, her mind—every particle of her being. The drowning went on and on and on, dissolving her, so that there was nothing left of her, only the incredible sensation exploding in her.

"If you marry me—" he said. "—you can be both." His voice was a drawl, like talons over hardest stone.

His eyes were gazing down into hers, ablaze, but her vision was blurred with tears. There was a ball of pain within her, squeezing tight. "What?" Her voice was a whisper.

He took a ragged breath, his eyes questioning. Still he said nothing. Fearful of her answer lest it destroy him.

"Is this because of the baby?" she drew away.

Sasuke pulled her into his arms, crushing her into the heat and solidity of his big powerful frame with strong hands. "Of course not," he crushed her to him, holding her so close against him that she could scarcely breathe.

She clung to him with feverish force, stretching up on tiptoe to let her fingers plunge into his springy black hair and hold him close. Her body was coming alive all on its own. He was kissing her with the same deep, driving sensuality with which he made love. He fired a tide of hot, quivering longing that made her breasts ache and her thighs tremble.

Such weakness—such strength in weakness.

His voice was ragged. "I have a confession to make."

"What?" she asked cautiously, utterly dazzled by his glorious smile, heart racing to such an extent she could hardly catch her breath.

"You have to answer my question first,"

She could see the sudden tension in his face, the uncertain wariness in his eyes.

She stilled, looking up at him. Then, out of nowhere, his features blurred.

His head dipped to hers, his mouth to hers.

Tenten reddened and mock-punched a broad shoulder. "Isn't the fact that I'm still here an answer enough, Uchiha?"

There was a moment of silence in which Sasuke regarded her with smouldering eyes and a thoroughly wicked grin.

"What is it?" her voice was so small it was practically inaudible.

"You also have to agree not to take this mission," he said sternly. "I will not have my wife accepting seduction missions," he lifted her hand, spread her fingers and pressed his lips almost reverently to her palm.

Involuntarily, a smile crept up on her tense mouth. "Okay, okay! Tell me what is it?"

"I had already told Itachi that he couldn't assign you to this mission because you were with-child and—"

In the midst of that sentence, she stomped on his feet and glowered at him. "You told Itachi! How could you do that? What did he say? How did he react?"

"—and you're not actually pregnant."

The most dreadful silence set in.

The brunette had gone way beyond amusement now. She felt sick with shock. "What?"

"I have been using my Sharingan on you for the past month," he confessed. "You never had morning sickness or even a positive pregnancy test. I did it so both you and Itachi had a reason to doubt your suitability for the mission."

"That's low Uchiha," she commented tightly, her hazel eyes sparkling with scorn. "Genjutsu? Seriously?"

"But here's the fun part—" Sasuke continued with a rueful smile.

Tenten didn't like the sound of that. "You'd better not say anymore."

He kissed her breathless and held her back from him, scanning her still shaken face with such knee-jerking intensity. "—I had always hated and loved you because you made Itachi proud."

"And what will Itachi say when there isn't a baby in nine months?" she arched a brow at him.

"Let me worry about that," he advised her with a wink.

Her eyes lit with emotion.

She knew that look, "Well then, I guess I'd always hated and loved you too—" she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him softly, tenderly. With all her heart. "—because you kept Itachi happy."

Outside in the hallway, Uchiha Itachi eased himself off the wall and walked off grinning from ear to ear. All those two needed was a divine intervention, or rather—a brotherly intervention.

There was never a seduction mission to begin with.

"Foolish little brother, your selfishness will be the death of you," he mused. "The one person you've always hated to share me with—is the one person you can't bring yourself to share with anyone."

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><p><strong>AN: Like I said, these one-shots are old as fuck. So if they lack entertainment value or suck then please forgive me. Sometimes I come up with the weirdest most uneventful pieces of shit. I've always wondered where Tenten learned the kunai dance technique from since Itachi was the only other character I remember seeing execute it. So...I made it that he taught her hence...the linkage to Sasuke :)**

**Anyways, thank you for reading. Pleeeaaaseee review to keep me posting these. I have been sitting on these one-shots for years because I just wasn't getting enough love for SasuTen. I think people overlook how much of an epic match-up they are.**

**Pretty Please Review :)**


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